Maurice Jones-Drew: MVP?
by Jonathan Loesche on Dec 6, 2010 8:00 AM EST
in Meta-Jacksonville Jaguars
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Let's turn the clocks back a bit. Actually, let's turn them to about 4:30pm EST, October 24th, 2010. The Jaguars had just lost to the Kansas City Chiefs and were dead in the water at 3-4. Most Jaguar fans were resigned to a lost season and praising Todd Bouman for a gutty performance.
In addition, Jaguar fans were beginning to question their All-Pro runningback. After being shot out of a cannon to start 2009, it appeared that Jones-Drew has lost his MoJo. In a 15 game stretch, he only had two 100 yard games, both against the Colts porous run defense.The criticism came pouring in. He's just a #2 back. He's already washed up. He has to be in a backfield by committee.
Where is all of that now?
In his last 5 games, Jones-Drew has rushed for 667 yards and has essentially carried the Jaguars offense. While the resurgency of David Garrard can be attributed for some of the Jaguars recent 4-1 surge, Jones-Drew deserved the bulk of the credit. With Maurice now running at full speed, it means defenses once again have to keep a seventh or eight guy in the box to try and contain him, making life easier for the passing game.
In the last five games, MJD has carried the ball more times (126) than David Garrard has thrown it (95), carrying it at least 21 times in each game. Not to mention that MJD is averaging 5.3 yards per carry in this stretch.
Some are going to call Jones-Drew's season a disappointment, but those are mostly jaded fantasy owners who wanted his touchdown scoring prowess. However, MJD has now become far more than just a fantasy football stud. Like his predecessor Fred Taylor, he is becoming a feature back that does his best when the weather turns it's worst.
So then, as for the title of this article. The current MVP race this season has been a rather bland one. The current sexy picks are Michael Vick, Tom Brady, and Philip Rivers. All of them are deserving, but are they the most valuable to their team? The Eagles have one of the most stacked rosters in the league and the Chargers might end up missing the playoffs.
Jones-Drew has almost single handily drug the Jaguars back from the brink and (with a little help from the rest of the AFC South) put the Jaguars into first place.
They talk about a Heisman winner needing to have his "Moment" and it's much the same for a NFL MVP. Jones-Drew has that. His 75 yard catch and run to setup the game winning score vs Cleveland would be any other team's play of the year.
With four games left, Jaguar fans are already chanting "Why Not Us" for the AFC South title. Why not Maurice Jones-Drew as the NFL's MVP?
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I think the real MVP
is the run blocking of the offensive line and Greg Jones.
I certainly don’t want to take anything away from MJD because he does get A LOT of yards after contact, the numbers of Jennings help to show that our line is paving the way.
Also don’t believe that any of the guys mentioned above, besides Tom Brady, are really in the discussion anymore. SD won’t make the playoffs with that loss and Vick has been mortal the past couple of games and has only taken about 60% of his teams snaps.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
Gotta love Greg Jones
Did you see that catch and run where he just plowed over two defenders on the sideline? That was power running at it’s finest.
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
by DownTownJax on Dec 6, 2010 12:32 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Except he wouldn't have had him
out front blocking for him. He’s a big reason the Jags running game is so good.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
This is a QB driven league
Unless MJD wnot pull up 150+ rushing yard games in the remaining 4 I see sadly no chance for that. (It will be Brady -espcially if he contineu his dominance tonight)
I loved the mention from Peter King that he is maybe the most importnat RB in the league; yet he is not on the Top 5 AFC RB list for the Pro Bowl….
I agree with pksiv- Greg Jones and Vinnie Manuwai quietly having monster seasons; and with that they show GM Gene how wise was the choice to NOT cut them because of their salary in September….
Life without knowledge is death in disguise
Follow me on twitter @iktriad
by Zoltan from Budapest on Dec 6, 2010 9:03 AM EST reply actions
The Manuwai thing
just goes to show us all that we’re nowhere near the GM, OC, or HC we think we all are. The guys who get paid for these jobs know a lot more than we will ever dream about knowing.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
by pksiv on Dec 6, 2010 10:10 AM EST up reply actions 3 recs
Rec'd
Hopefully the lot of us regulars do all this with some tongue in cheek. I think we should not dismiss Del Rio’s coaching (along with the staff) while we’re propping Gene. You can give a guy gold and he will either scratch the soft surface or keep it polished and shinning. As critical as we all are of every granular detail, this staff, especially in the throes of Gene’s multiple player moves during mid-season, has kept this team focused. We need only look to the Titans to see how mental instability can ruin production. The Jaguars got better after blow outs, QB questions and defensive demotions. I give Jack a great deal of credit for this season’s success.
The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Vince Lombardi
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by Brian Fullford on Dec 6, 2010 10:25 AM EST up reply actions
Hey, some of us said this is what Vinny would do and why they weren’t getting cut. :)
by Alfie Crow on Dec 6, 2010 10:49 AM EST via mobile up reply actions
Very true
But did you have to insult Garrard with the above statement? Why can’t you just compliment another player without putting down Garrard?!
;)
The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Vince Lombardi
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Big Cat Country: Best Jaguars Fan Site on the Internet:
This is where I tweet:
by Brian Fullford on Dec 6, 2010 10:53 AM EST up reply actions
I trust you.
I didn’t go back and read all of the old posts to see who said what. I just remember that there were several players that were being talked about as getting cut because of their salary and remembered Manuwai was one of them because of the argument that he should be kept simply to help Alualu get adjusted….
All that really matters is he’s here, he’s healthy and he’s got his job back and making the most of it.
DG is the best we have and help is not on the way. I realize he's not perfect, but I feel a lot better about him at QB than I do the O-Line, DB's, or LB's ability to cover a TE.
Seriously?
Pro-Bowl voters have five other AFC running backs ahead of MoJo?
While not surprising, it should be embarrassing for the NFL.
On the other hand, as I said about Fred, you won’t see his Pro-Bowl selection after February, but you’ll his name in the Ring of Honor forever.
Section 442, RIP
Jaguars, most knowledgable fans in the NFL.
The pro-bowl means nothing
Its the most pathetic excuse for an all start game. Mojo would be the top RB if he played in Pittsburgh or new york but since Jacksonville is such a big market he wont be top of the list. The Pro Bowl is popularity contest. I don’t know why Pro-Bowl gets so much credibility anymore
Jennings at the 30, at the 20, at the 10. TOUCHDOWN RASHAD JENNINGS!!
Mojo is popular.
Everyone knows who he is, that he’s a beast, and everysingle commentator/analyst calls him Pock Hercules, and NFL Network loves him
by rhettchrystal on Dec 6, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions
MVP! MVP!
Lets see what he does in the next few weeks. His TD numbers are going to hurt him though. I think if he can get a 150 yard / 3 TD performance in a win at Indy, he will be in the conversation.
Right on, I agree
However, no way a player from Jax gets the MVP. There’d be upheaval nationwide.
Coach Crennel, if all of your Coors Lights can talk what happens when you open your fridge? There's generally "Hoopla" involved.
That...
sucks, but unfortnately, sounds like it could be very true.
I'd settle for Superbowl MVP instead
No need to be greedy.
DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUVAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAL!
by DownTownJax on Dec 6, 2010 12:39 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Why is this not getting rec'd more?
Jon, I love that you back tracked to when fans and BCC editors were trying to find silver linings to make it through the season. This is a great topic that surely warrants further exploration.
The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Vince Lombardi
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Big Cat Country: Best Jaguars Fan Site on the Internet:
This is where I tweet:
in my article, i commented that,too, he the most valuable pklayer, he carries this teaam, tom bradys team did well with matt cassel. withou mjd were nothing
by rhettchrystal on Dec 6, 2010 9:33 AM EST via mobile reply actions
MJD is getting a lot of love from the media right now
Peter King has him at #4 on his MVP rankings
"I’m going to punish him. If he hits me, fine, but if I catch him, believe me, I’m going to get the better shot." - Fred Taylor
so needless to say next week, after every big carry, we start chanting “MVP” instead of “DREWWWWWWWWWWWWW”
ahhhh
i though Madden was glitched cuz after every big play…i hear booooooo? I was like wtf is this, ansd it got annoying, but I guess they are saying Drew.
by rhettchrystal on Dec 6, 2010 2:52 PM EST up reply actions
+1 I SAID THIS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AFTER THE GAME..
why not Maurice ? Hes BEEN our offense, obviously hes had some great help from the o-line, dg, and GREG JONES. But lets be real here, MJD is simply running over people left and right, the mans a beast give him the ball. The first 6 games when he only had about 3 tds and 2 100 yd games, i still said he was playing decent, its just we didnt have time to give him his carries since some of those games we were getting destroyed and needed to throw the ball..i think out of Brady/Rivers/Vick/MJD, us without mjd would be worse than any of those teams without those players..and besides, can they stop always making it a qb race for mvp..
MJD FOR MVP..
It would be awesome if...
MJD wins the MVP and doesnt even make the pro bowl
Well done Jon
The greatest accomplishment is not in never falling, but in rising again after you fall.
Vince Lombardi
My personal blog:
Big Cat Country: Best Jaguars Fan Site on the Internet:
This is where I tweet:
He is only short by about 50 yards from being at the top of the rushing list.
I believe he will surpass Foster in the next two games. If he can manage 3 or 4 more TDs and maybe one in the air then all those stat frinzy media folk will be able to back him without an excuse. Without Mojo we are dead in the water and he needs to be recognized for just how good he really is. Keep in mind that Chris Johnson went over 2000 last year and he didnt win.
yep
but i would like to see garrard break his carrer high in TDs
by rhettchrystal on Dec 6, 2010 2:53 PM EST up reply actions
Great article
I’m also happy that Jennings is getting some carries as well, that guy is very capable.
But hes no MJD!
i agree
but if Chris Johnson didn’t get it last year i’d have a hard time seeing a rb getting it this year
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